In South Africa, the driving licence is the official document which authorises the holder to drive a motor vehicle on a public road. Driving licences are issued by authorised driving licence testing centres, which are run by the municipalities under the supervision of the provincial and national Departments of Transport.[1] Since 1998, the driving licence has been issued in a 'credit card format'; before then it was included in the holder's national identity document. The minimum age to hold a licence is 18. Apply for a driving licence | South African with the exception of Code A1 for which the minimum age is 16.
CHANGE OF TITLE HOLDER (e.g. Bank, cash buyer, etc.) (1) The seller must duly complete parts A and C and the buyer part B. (2) The seller must hand over the current registration certificate to the buyer. (3) The seller must furnish this notice to his/her appropriate registering authority within 21 days after the date on which the motor vehicle was sold. Search the site. You are here. Home » Services » Services for Residents » Driving.
Licence codes[edit]
Driving licences are issued with various codes that indicate the types of vehicle that may be driven with that licence; the codes are shown in the following table.[2]
Code | Vehicle classes | Includes |
---|---|---|
Motorcycles | ||
A1 | Motorcycles with an engine capacity of 125 cubic centimetres or less | |
A | Motorcycles with an engine capacity greater than 125 cc | Code A1 |
Light motor vehicles | ||
B | Vehicles (except motorcycles) with tare weight of 3,500 kilograms or less; and minibuses, buses and goods vehicles with gross vehicle mass (GVM) of 3,500 kg or less. A trailer with GVM of 750 kg or less may be attached. | |
EB | Articulated vehicles with gross combination mass (GCM) of 3,500 kg or less; and vehicles allowed by Code B but with a trailer with GVM greater than 750 kg. | Code B |
Heavy motor vehicles | ||
C1 | In South Africa, driving licences are issued with various codes that indicate the types of vehicle that may be driven with that licence. To transport fare-paying passengers or tourists for a fee, you must have a professional driving permit (PrDP). For example, a Code EC1 licence includes codes B, EB and C1. | Code B |
C | Buses and goods vehicles with GVM greater than 16,000 kg. A trailer with GVM of 750 kg or less may be attached. | Codes B and C1 |
EC1 | Articulated vehicles with GCM between 3,500 kg and 16,000 kg; and vehicles allowed by Code C1 but with a trailer with GVM greater than 750 kg. | Codes B, EB and C1 |
EC | Articulated vehicles with GCM greater than 18,000 kg; and vehicles allowed by Code C but with a trailer with GVM greater than 750 kg. | Codes B, EB, C1, C and EC1 |
Renewal of drivers license[edit]
Before applying for a driving licence, a prospective driver must first obtain a learner's licence.[1] The learner's test is a multiple-choice test that examines knowledge of vehicle controls, rules of the road, and traffic signs.[2]
The following criteria required:[3]
- Rules of the road – There are 30 questions in this category with 22 being the pass mark
- Vehicle controls – There are 8 questions in this section, the required pass mark is 6
- Road signs, road markings and traffic signals – There are 30 questions in this category with a pass mark of 23
Three types of learner's licence are issued[4]:
- Code 1: motorcycles.
- Code 2: vehicles (except motorcycles) with tare weight of 3,500 kilograms or less; minibuses, buses and goods vehicles with GVM of 3,500 kg or less; and articulated vehicles with GCM of 3,500 kg or less.
- Code 3: all vehicles (except motorcycles).
The minimum age for a Code 1 or 2 licence is 17, and for a Code 3 licence it is 18. At the age of 16 a Code 1 licence limited to motorcycles with engine capacity under 125 cc may be obtained. Learner's licences are valid for 24 months, and, except for Code 1 licences, require that the learner be accompanied by a fully licensed driver.[2] It is not compulsory for a learner driver to have a big red 'L' on the rear window, but it is recommended so that other drivers can have patience with the driver.
With the learner's licence, the prospective driver can take a driving test to obtain their driving licence. The driving test has two components: the first is the yard test, in which the applicant demonstrates various parking and turning manoeuvres in a specially constructed parking lot. If the yard test is successful, it is followed by the road test, in which the applicant demonstrates their driving ability on the public roads, following the instructions of the examiner.
Some errors on the test, such as a collision, speeding, or rolling backwards when moving off, will cause an instant failure of the test. Other errors cause the driver to lose points; if too many points are lost, this will also cause failure. If the applicant is successful, they will be issued with a paper Temporary Driving Licence, which is valid for 6 months from the date of issue. A permanent card licence will be available for collection at the testing station the applicant went to for the driving test within 4–6 weeks.
References[edit]
- ^ abNational Road Traffic ActArchived December 4, 2008, at the Wayback Machine 93 of 1996, chp. IV
- ^ abcNational Road Traffic RegulationsArchived March 7, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, Government Notice R.225 of 17 March 2000, chp. VArchived January 6, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^'Writing the K53 Learner's Test'. www.k53-test.co.za. Retrieved 2018-08-08.
- ^'Apply for a driving licence | South African Government'. www.gov.za. Retrieved 2017-10-29.
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About registering your motor vehicle
If you are a title holder of a new, pre-owned, built or re-built motor vehicle, you must register it at your relevant registering authority to get a registration certificate. If the vehicle is financed, the title holder will be the financing institution. When it has been registered and licenced, you will get a motor vehicle licence disc.
You must register and license your motor vehicle within 21 days after a change of ownership. If you do not register it, you will have to pay arrears and penalties. The motor vehicle registration is recorded on the national traffic information system (eNaTIS).
Your vehicle's registration becomes null and void if:
- the vehicle licence disc has not been renewed for more than four years
- the vehicle was involved in an accident and has been declared permanently unfit for use
- you sold the vehicle (changed ownership)
- your vehicle has been repossessed for more than 31 days
- a deregistration certificate has been issued.
What you should do
Register a new vehicle:
To register a new vehicle, go to your appropriate registering authority and submit the following:
- Your identity document (ID)
- Proof of postal and residential address e.g. utility account. If the utility bill is not in your name, the owner of the bill must make an affidavit declaring that you live at the address and the utility bill must be attached to the affidavit.
- If you stay at an informal settlement, you must bring a letter with an official date stamp from the ward councillor confirming your postal and residential address
- The manufacturer's certificate containing all the relevant details of the vehicle
- a roadworthy certificate, if the vehicle is a heavy load [or Road Transport Quality System (RTQS)] vehicle.
Complete the Application for Registration and Licensing of Motor Vehicle (RLV) form.
Register a used vehicle:
To register a pre-owned (used) vehicle, the seller must first complete and submit a Notification of change of ownership (NCO) form, which gives notification of change of ownership
Go to your relevant motor vehicle registration authority and submit the following:
- your identity document (ID)
- Proof of postal and residential address e.g. utility account. If the utility bill is not in your name, the owner of the bill must make an affidavit declaring that you live at the address and the utility bill must be attached to the affidavit.
- If you stay at an informal settlement, you must bring a letter with an official date stamp from the ward councillor confirming your postal and residential address
- the vehicle registration certificate (in the seller's name)
- the certificate of roadworthiness if the current certificate is older than 60 days
- proof of purchase of the vehicle
- a valid motor vehicle licence (ensure that the licence fees for the vehicle are up to date).
Complete the Application for registration and licensing of motor vehicle (RLV) form.
Register a vehicle built up from parts:
To register a vehicle built up from parts, go to your nearest motor vehicle registration authority and submit the following:
- your identity document (ID)
- Proof of postal and residential address e.g. utility account. If the utility bill is not in your name, the owner of the bill must make an affidavit declaring that you live at the address and the utility bill must be attached to the affidavit.
- If you stay at an informal settlement, you must bring a letter with an official date stamp from the ward councillor confirming your postal and residential address
- an affidavit confirming where the parts came from and what was done to the car (form SOA)
- request for police clearance (form RPC)
- request for police identification (form RPI)
- de-registration certificate (if the vehicle was deregistered)
- a weighbridge (mass measuring) certificate
- proof of title ownership
- letter of authority (if applicable)
The provincial help desk will then introduce the vehicle record on eNaTIS
- request for police clearance (form RPC) must then be submitted
- a roadworthy test must be performed on the vehicle
Complete the Application for Registration and Licensing of Motor Vehicle form (RLV).
Register a modified vehicle:
To register a modified vehicle, go to your nearest motor vehicle registration authority and submit:
- your identity document (ID)
- Proof of postal and residential address e.g. utility account. If the utility bill is not in your name, the owner of the bill must make an affidavit declaring that you live at the address and the utility bill must be attached to the affidavit.
- If you stay at an informal settlement, you must bring a letter with an official date stamp from the ward councillor confirming your postal and residential address
- an affidavit confirming where the parts came from and what was done to the car (form SOA)
- request for police clearance (form RPC)
- request for police identification (form RPI)
- de-registration certificate (if the vehicle was deregistered)
- a weighbridge (mass measuring) certificate
- proof of title of ownership
- roadworthy certificate
- letter of authority (if applicable).
Manufacturer's certificate or previous registration certificate or affidavit if the registration certificate cannot be provided. Complete the Application for Registration and Licensing of Motor Vehicle form (RLV).
How long does it take
The application will be forwarded to the provincial help desk.
The introduction of the motor vehicle record can take up to a few days. The applicant will be contacted when the record is on the system.
How much does it cost
Contact your local licensing office for the cost.
Forms to complete
Forms are obtainable at the motor vehicle registering authority.
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